🔗 Share this article

Orbital data and vessel monitoring information has verified that the crude carrier named Skipper – the initial vessel apprehended by the United States for reportedly carrying embargoed oil from the Venezuelan regime – is now positioned near of the state of Texas.

A satellite firm's orbital photographs from 21 December shows the tanker is in the vicinity of Galveston, while AIS ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic currently places the Skipper about 80km offshore.

The Skipper was seized by US authorities on the tenth of December and has been sanctioned by several nations. At the time it was seized, it was incorrectly flying the flag of the nation of Guyana.

This seizure was followed by the capture of a second oil vessel, the Centuries tanker. This ship – unlike the Skipper – was not under sanctions when it was taken into US custody.

American agencies are now targeting a third such ship, which has been named by the maritime risk group a risk firm as the Bella 1 tanker. The US President stated recently that “we’ll end up getting it”.

Writing on the social media platform X, the maritime monitoring group said the Bella 1 has been “in transit for 39 days” and, at an typical pace of 11 nautical miles per hour, may have “another 28 to 35 days of diesel remaining unless her speed decreases”.

The group added the tanker is “probably traveling in a southeasterly direction towards South Africa”.